Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bulldogs play home basketball games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington on the university campus. Gonzaga has had twelve of its players receive the WCC Player of the Year award in its history. History Early years Gonzaga introduced a basketball program during the 1907/08 basketball season. During that season, they had no coach, but managed to achieve a record of 9–2 (.818). In the 1908/09 season, George Varnell became the first official coach for Gonzaga, earning a 10–2 (.833) record during his only season with Gonzaga. Varnell was replaced by William Mulligan the following season, who acquired an 11–3 (.786) record. Frank McKevitt took over for Mulligan during the 1910/11 basketball season, acquiring an 8–1 (.889) record, which was the highest winning percentage for Gonzaga basketball at the time. Dan Monson era After the 1997 season, assistant coach Dan Monson took over as head coach. Monson, son of former Idaho Vandals and Oregon Ducks head coach Don Monson, began his collegiate coaching career in 1986, where he was an assistant coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He assisted head coach Gene Bartow until 1988, when he was brought to Spokane to be an assistant coach for Bulldogs coach Dan Fitzgerald. 1997/98 Season The 1997/98 season was Dan Monson's first with Gonzaga, in only his fourth game as head coach, he would lead Gonzaga to winning their first game against a nationally ranked teamhttp://issuu.com/gonzagabulldogs/docs/gu_2010-11_men_s_basketball_media_guide, pulling off an 84–71 win over Clemson. Clemson was ranked fifth at the time, and Gonzaga had previously been 0–15 against nationally ranked teamshttp://issuu.com/gonzagabulldogs/docs/gu_2010-11_men_s_basketball_media_guide. Gonzaga would finish the regular season with a 21–8 record and a 10–4 record in the WCC, which was good enough for a first place finish. Gonzaga would reach the WCC Championship Game but lost to San Francisco 80–67, effectively ending Gonzaga's chances of getting into the NCAA Tournament. Monson and Gonzaga would settle for an NIT bid. Gonzaga would win their opening round game against Wyoming 69–55 at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming http://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/files/nit-postseason1990s.pdf. Gonzaga would play Hawaii in the next round, but would lose 78–70 at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The loss would end Gonzaga's 1997/98 campaign with a 24–10 mark. Mark Few era Mark Few took over as coach of Gonzaga before the 1999/2000 season. At the start of the 2007/08 season, Few was tied with Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels with an .802 win percentage, highest among active coaches in D-I. Since 1999, the Bulldogs' home record stands at 120–9 (.930) and has five undefeated home seasons (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006). Additionally, Gonzaga is 126–14 (.900) in West Coast Conference play. During Few's tenure as head coach, Gonzaga has won eleven consecutive regular-season conference titles (splitting the title with Pepperdine in 2002). In the WCC Tournament, Few's Gonzaga teams have won 8 of the last 10 championships, including five of the last six (the University of San Diego defeated Gonzaga in the title game in 2003 and 2008). Under Few, Gonzaga has reached 11 straight WCC Championship games; with the two wins under Dan Monson, Gonzaga has won 13 combined WCC Championships. A member of Few's team won WCC Player of the Year in every year from 2001 to 2008. Few has coached winners of seven AP All-American Honorable Mention awards, 2 AP or Wooden Second Team All-American awards, and 2 AP and Wooden First Team All-Americans (Dan Dickau, 2002; Adam Morrison, 2006). 1999/2000 season Few started off his Bulldogs coaching tenure by winning his first four games, all against local teams. Gonzaga then played number-one–ranked Cincinnati, losing 75–68. In their next game, they played number-19 Temple and lost 64–48. The Bulldogs then played their third straight game against a ranked team, number-11 UCLA, winning 59–43. Later in the season, the Bulldogs were 9–5 after losing three out of four games. Gonzaga won their last two non-conference games to boost their record to 11–5. They had nine straight conference wins, and then dropped three of their next four. Gonzaga won their last regular season game to finish 22–8. Gonzaga won their three West Coast Conference tournament games, beating first-seed Pepperdine in a 69–65 overtime game. Gonzaga began the NCAA Tournament as a number-10 seed for the second straight year. They beat Louisville 77–66 and ninth-ranked number-two–seed St. John's 82–76. In the Sweet Sixteen, they dropped out of the tourney by losing to Purdue, 75–66. The Bulldogs finished the season 26–9. 2000/01 season The next season, the Bulldogs faced two top-10 teams, Arizona and Florida, losing both games. Following the losses, Gonzaga was able to win its next 14 consecutive games to put them at 20–5. After a loss to New Mexico, Gonzaga went 1–1 in their next two games. Gonzaga won the WCC Tournament for the third straight year, giving them 24–6 record going into the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga was a 12 seed in the tournament, and beat fifth seed, sixteenth-ranked Virginia 86–85. They followed that by beating the thirteenth-seed Indiana State 85–68, reaching the Sweet 16, but lost to eventual regional champions Michigan State 77–62. They finished the season with a 26–7 record. 2001/02 season In the 2001/02 season, Gonzaga had a 26–3 record in the regular season, only losing to number-three Illinois, Marquette, and Pepperdine. For a fourth straight season, Gonzaga won the WCC tournament. Few had his team at 29–3 heading into the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga was given a six seed, and faced 11th-seeded Wyoming, losing the game 73–67. Gonzaga finished the season with a 29–4 record. 2002/03 season Gonzaga saw themselves go 22–7 in the 2002/03 regular season, reaching the WCC championship game for the sixth straight year, but Gonzaga lost the championship game to San Diego, 72–63. In the NCAA Tournament, Few's team garnered a ninth seed and reached the second round, but lost to number-one–seed Arizona, 96–95, in double overtime. 2003/04 season Few led the 2003/04 season Bulldogs squad into play by losing to 17th-ranked St. Josephs, 73–66, to start the season. Gonzaga then won seven games in a row, including a victory over number-three nationally-ranked Missouri in overtime. The Bulldogs lost the next game to number-nine Stanford, 87–80, bringing their record to 7–2. Few then led his team to 21 consecutive victories, including another WCC championship that pushed the Bulldogs to a 27–2 record heading into the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs beat 15th-seed Valparaiso, and many expected a Final Four out of the Bulldogs, but Gonzaga lost to 10th-seed Nevada, 91–72. Gonzaga had achieved a number-three AP ranking, their highest all-time ranking. The Bulldogs finished 28–3. 2004/05 season The 2004/05 season saw the Bulldogs in a new arena, and Gonzaga started off the season 3–0, but lost to eventual national runner-up fifth-ranked Illinois, 89–72. The next game, the Bulldogs took on the 14th-ranked Washington Huskies and won, 89–77. Gonzaga pulled off three straight wins, and faced number-three–ranked Georgia Tech, taking a 85–73 win. After a win over Eastern Washington, they played the new number-three team, Oklahoma State, and won 78–75. The Bulldogs then went 13–3 over their next 16 games to finish the season at 23–4. After winning the WCC Tournament, Gonzaga was 25–4 and a number-three seed in the NCAA Tournament. They beat Winthrop, but lost 71–69 to Bob Knight's Texas Tech squad. Gonzaga finished 26–5. 2005/06 season The next season, Few led the Bulldogs to wins over number-23 Maryland and number-12 Michigan State in the Maui Invitational. The Gonzaga–Michigan State game was a 109–106 triple-overtime game. Their next game was a pre–Thanksgiving Day game against number-three UConn, where UConn pulled out a 65–63 win. Gonzaga beat Portland State, but lost to number-18 Washington, 99–95, to bring their record to 4–2. The Bulldogs pulled off five straight wins, including a 64–62 win over Oklahoma State that saw future All-American Adam Morrison hit a fade-away, buzzer-beater bank shot three-pointer from NBA range. Gonzaga lost to number-four Memphis 83–72, but then pulled off 16 straight regular-season wins to give them a 25–3 mark, followed by another WCC Championship. The Bulldogs received a number-three seed and headed into the NCAA Tournament with a 27–3 record. They reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2001. Their next game was against the number-two seed, the UCLA Bruins. After trailing Gonzaga by as many as 17 points in the second half, the Bruins scored a late-game rally to win the game 73–71. 2006/07 season In the 2006/07 season, the Bulldogs went 23–11 with a 10th straight WCC Championship Game appearance, winning the WCC Tournament for the fourth consecutive time, but lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 2007/08 season The following season, Few's team went 25–8. The Bulldogs lost the WCC Championship Game to San Diego, the first team to beat Gonzaga in a WCC Championship Game since 1999. They lost their first-round NCAA Tournament game to 10th-seeded Davidson, who went on to the Elite Eight. 2008/09 season To begin the 2008/09 season, the Bulldogs went 7–0 for the first time ever, and were ranked number four in the nation. Gonzaga dropped a close game to Arizona 69–64, but followed that game by getting a 42-point victory against Texas Southern. Gonzaga began one of their worst stretches in the Dan Monson/Mark Few eras by losing to #2 UConn 88–83 in overtime. That game saw UConn's AJ Price hit a three-pointer to send the game to overtime. The Bulldogs never fully recovered from that shot, losing in overtime. The Bulldogs would go on to lose their next two games at home against Portland State (77–70) and on the road against Utah (66–65). Gonzaga got back on their feet by beating 15th-ranked Tennessee on the road in overtime, 89–79. Gonzaga then had another eight victories before losing to 14th-ranked Memphis, 68–50. Gonzaga then won seven more games to lead them to their third undefeated West Coast Conference season. After beating Santa Clara and Saint Mary's in the WCC Tournament by a combined 60 points (94–59 over Santa Clara, and 83–58 over Saint Mary's), Gonzaga improved their season record to 26–5 and guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 11th straight year. Additionally, they won their ninth WCC Championship in 11 years, and their 10th WCC championship overall. On March 15, 2009, Few's Bulldogs were announced as a number-four seed in the South region for the NCAA Tournament, playing the 13th-seeded Akron Zips in the first round. On March 19, Akron was poised to upset the Bulldogs, up by a game-high six points with a 49–43 lead, with a little over 14 minutes left to play. The Bulldogs responded with a 19–2 run that helped them climb to a 62–51 lead, part of a 30–6 run that helped them to a 73–55 lead. The Bulldogs finished the game with a 77–64 win, moving on to the round-of-32 in the NCAA Tournament. In the second round of the tournament, which ended in controversy, Gonzaga took on Western Kentucky. It was a close game; WKU's biggest lead was six points, and Gonzaga's biggest lead was nine—which came with the Bulldogs up 81–72, with 2:14 left to play. After a two-point basket, the score was 81–74. Orlando Mendez-Valdez of the Hilltoppers hit a three-point shot to cut the lead to 81–77, with 1:30 to go. After Matt Bouldin of Gonzaga fell down, a near-foul "no-call" occurred and Mendez-Valdez jumped to grab the ball and set up a break-away dunk to cut the lead to two, at 81–79. After a Bouldin missed a shot, WKU grabbed a rebound, called a timeout and set up for a shot with 24.8 left on the clock. The Hilltoppers missed a three-pointer, but Steffphon Pettigrew tipped in the ball to tie the game with 7.2 seconds left to play. Gonzaga inbounded the ball, and freshman Demetri Goodson took the ball the length of the court and made a short running bank shot with 0.9 seconds left. WKU coach Ken McDonald and a WKU player both tried to call a time-out, but no referees witnessed the time-out call. Instead, WKU simply imbounded it and hucked up an almost full-court shot that sailed away from the basket. The Bulldogs won, 83–81, giving them their fifth Sweet Sixteen appearance. They played the number-one–seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, losing 98–77 to end their season. McCarthey Athletic Center Gonzaga home games have been played at the McCarthey Athletic Center since 2004. The Bulldogs opened the arena with a 38-game winning streak, the longest in the NCAA at the time. The streak ended in February 2007 with a loss to the Santa Clara Broncos. When combined with 12 wins at home in the old Charlotte Y. Martin Centre "Kennel", the overall home-game winning streak ended at 50 games. Between 1999 and 2009, Gonzaga compiled a 120–9 record at home, and a 33–2 record in conference. , the team's record for all games played in the McCarthey Athletic Center was 71–4. The Comcast Battle in Seattle The Comcast Battle in Seattle is the annual game that the Bulldogs play at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It is considered a neutral site game, considering that Seattle is about from Gonzaga's hometown of Spokane, but it is essentially a home game for Gonzaga due to a typically heavy fan turnout. The first Comcast Battle in Seattle was in 2003. Gonzaga is 4–4 in Battle in Seattle games, winning their first three (2003–2005), losing from 2006–2008, winning again in 2009, and then falling to Illinois in 2010. Impact on the University Gonzaga University has experienced an inflow of students since the men's basketball team's 1998/99 season brought the school national attention. A 65-percent increase in the size of the freshman class between 1997 and 2003 is part of a phenomenon called the Flutie Effect, the increase in attention and applications for admission that results after a particularly notable and unexpected sporting victory by a school's athletic team. Gonzaga University president Rev. Robert Spitzer said that the team's success was responsible for the school receiving the $23 million required to build the McCarthey Athletic Center, most of which was received through major gifts. Gonzaga vs. the AP Top 25 (since 1998-99) Since the season of Gonzaga's 1999 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament run to the Elite 8, Gonzaga has played a total of 61 games against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Gonzaga has a record of 21-40 against such teams. They have beaten a team ranked #3 on three occasions (2003-04 season against Missouri, and the 2004-05 season against Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State), and beat a 2nd ranked North Carolina in November of 2006. Teams in bold represent games Gonzaga played in the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament. NCAA Tournament results NCAA tournament results The Bulldogs have appeared in fourteen NCAA Tournaments. Gonzaga's combined record is 16–14. Awards West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors (since 2001) :See: West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors (since 2001) All-Americans ;National Player of the Year * Adam Morrison (2006) USBWA, NABC, CBS-Chevrolet ;First Team * Dan Dickau (2002) AP, Wooden * Adam Morrison (2006) AP (consensus), Wooden ;Second Team * Frank Burgess (1961) AP * Casey Calvary (2001) Wooden * Blake Stepp (2004) AP, Wooden ;Honorable Mention * Bill Dunlap (1982) AP * John Stockton (1984) AP * Matt Santangelo (1999) AP * Casey Calvary (2001) AP * Blake Stepp (2003) AP * Ronny Turiaf (2004, 2005) AP * Adam Morrison (2005) AP * JP Batista (2006) AP * Derek Raivio (2007) AP * Matt Bouldin (2010) AP First-round NBA picks * John Stockton, 16th overall pick to Utah in 1984. * Dan Dickau, 28th overall pick to Sacramento in 2002. * Adam Morrison, 3rd overall pick to Charlotte in 2006. * Austin Daye, 15th overall pick to Detroit in 2009. Notable alumni *J. P. Batista *Casey Calvary *Dan Dickau *Richie Frahm *Adam Morrison *Derek Raivio *Matt Santangelo *Blake Stepp *John Stockton *Ronny Turiaf *Cory Violette *Tony Milla Coaching records Mark Few currently holds the highest winning percentage of any Gonzaga multi-year head coach. Hank Anderson compiled a school-record 290 wins in 21 seasons as head coach. Individual career records As of the 2005/06 season. Career assist leaders 1. Matt Santangelo – 668 2. Blake Stepp – 640 3. John Stockton – 554 4. Jeremy Pargo – 528 5. Matt Bouldin – 444 6. Derek Raivio – 356 7. Steven Gray – 339 8. Geoff Goss – 324 9. Don Baldwin – 313 10. Jim McPhee – 304 Career points leaders 1. Frank Burgess – 2,196 2. Jim McPhee – 2,015 3. Adam Morrison – 1,867 4. Matt Santangelo – 1,810 5. Ronny Turiaf – 1,723 6. Matt Bouldin – 1,683 7. Blake Stepp – 1,670 8. Jeff Brown – 1,646 9. Richie Frahm – 1,621 10. Jerry Vermillion – 1,547 Career rebound leaders 1. Jerry Vermillion – 1,670 2. Gary Lechman – 910 3. Cory Violette – 880 4. Ronny Turiaf – 859 5. Greg Sten – 783 6. Casey Calvary – 757 7. Jim Dixon – 666 8. Charlie Jordan – 642 9. Jim Grady – 634 10. Bill Quigg – 630 Career steal leaders 1. John Stockton – 262 2. Matt Bouldin - 170 3. Doug Spradley – 159 4. Derek Raivio – 156 5. Steven Gray - 155 6. Blake Stepp – 152 7. Jeremy Pargo – 145 8. Geoff Goss – 139 9. Tim Wagoner – 131 10. Jeff Condill – 116 Career blocked shots leaders 1. Casey Calvary – 207 2. Ronny Turiaf – 179 3. Robert Sacre - 139 4. Tim Ruff – 99 5. Austin Daye – 93 6. Zach Gourde – 86 7. Cory Violette – 85 8. Josh Heytvelt – 85 9. Mark Spink – 80 10. Abdullahi Kuso – 77 Category:NCAA Division I schools Category:West Coast Conference members Category:Schools in Washington